Lobelia plant named ‘Weslobleye’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lobelia  plant named ‘Weslobleye’, Characterized by its semi-upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy plant form; continuously and freely flowering habit; and dark blue-colored flowers with large white-colored eyes.

Botanical designation: Lobelia erinus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Weslobleye’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia, botanically known as Lobelia erinus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Weslobleye’.

The new Lobelia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Südlohn, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Lobelia cultivars with good vigor and attractive flower coloration.

The new Lobelia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 2003 of a proprietary seedling selection of Lobelia erinus identified as code number 03P626, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary seedling selection of Lobelia erinus identified as code number 03P509, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Lobelia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant with the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Südlohn, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in Südlohn, Germany since 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Lobelia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Weslobleye have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Weslobleye’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Weslobleye’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Lobelia:

-   -   1. Semi-upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy         plant form.     -   4. Continuously and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Dark blue-colored flowers with large white-colored eyes.

Plants of the new Lobelia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lobelia are more vigorous than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Lobelia are pubescent whereas         leaves of plants of the female parent selection are glabrous.     -   3. Plants of the new Lobelia and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have mauve-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lobelia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lobelia have smaller flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Lobelia have smaller sepals than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Lobelia and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have light violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Lobelia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Wesloarc, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,871. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Lobelia differed from plants of the cultivar Wesloarc in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lobelia had finer lateral branches than         plants of the cultivar Wesloarc.     -   2. Plants of the new Lobelia had smaller leaves than plants of         the cultivar Wesloarc.     -   3. Plants of the new Lobelia had smaller flowers than plants of         the cultivar Wesloarc.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Lobelia were darker blue in         color than flowers of plants of the cultivar Wesloarc.

Plants of the new Lobelia can be compared to plants of the cultivar Weslobigblue, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,634. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn, Germany, plants of the new Lobelia differed from plants of the cultivar Weslobigblue in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lobelia were more upright and shorter than         plants of the cultivar Weslobigblue.     -   2. Plants of the new Lobelia had shorter internodes than plants         of the cultivar Weslobigblue.     -   3. Plants of the new Lobelia had smaller flowers than plants of         the cultivar Weslobigblue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Lobelia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Weslobleye’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Weslobleye’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring and summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Südlohn, Germany for about 20 weeks in containers. During the production of the plants, day temperatures range from 20° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 18° C. and light levels ranged from 3,000 lux to 50,000 lux. Plants were pinched one time about two weeks after planting.

-   Botanical classification: Lobelia erinus cultivar Weslobleye. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of Lobelia             erinus identified as code number 03P626, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of Lobelia             erinus identified as code number 03P509, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 14 to 18 days at 18° C. to 20°             C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 21 to 24 days at             18° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Semi-upright and mounding plant habit. Freely             branching habit with lateral branches developing at             potentially every node; short internodes; dense and bushy             plant habit. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 12 cm to 17 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 32 cm to 35 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 18 cm to 23 cm.             Diameter: About 1.6 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 137A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate simple; sessile.         -   Length, basal leaves.—About 3.8 cm.         -   Width, basal leaves.—About 1.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblong to oblanceolate.         -   Apex.—Emarginate to acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; leathery.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; arcuate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             147A; venation, 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement/shape.—Flowers arranged singly at lateral             apices. Flowers held mostly outwardly. Flowers persistent.             Flowering freely and continuously; older flowers are             overgrown by new flowers and foliage. Flowers not fragrant.             Flowers tubular with three larger lower petals and two             upright petals.         -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the Germany.             Flower longevity on the plant: Longevity of individual             flowers is highly dependent on weather conditions; typically             about one week. -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 1.7 cm. Depth (height): About 1.9 cm.     Flower throat diameter: About 3.8 mm. Flower tube length: About     8 mm. Flower tube diameter, at the base: About 2 mm.     -   -   Flower buds.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Oblong. Color: 194C.         -   Petals.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five petals, fused;             three larger lower petals and two smaller upper petals.             Three lower petals: Shape: Oblong. Length, above throat:             About 1.2 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Two upper petals: Shape:             Spatulate. Length, above throat: About 6 mm. Width: About             2 mm. Upper and lower petals: Apex: Slightly cuspidate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper and lower petals: When opening, upper             surface: 95A; eye, 155A. When opening, lower surface: 97A to             97B. Fully opened, upper surface: 96A; towards base of lower             petals, large white eye, 155A, with small spots, 93A; color             becoming closer to 95A with development. Fully opened, lower             surface: 97B. Throat: 155A; small spots, 93A. Tube: 94B             becoming closer to 97C to 97D.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five sepals, fused at             the base; star-shaped calyx. Length: About 5 mm. Width:             About 1 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 0.8 mm.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 137A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About             five. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: N187A. Pollen             amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 5A. Pistils: Quantity per             flower: One. Pistil length: About 1 cm. Stigma shape:             Two-parted, ovate. Stigma color: N187A. Style length: About             5 mm. Style color: 144C. Ovary color: 138A to 138B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lobelia have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Lobelia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Lobelia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 4° C. to about 30° C. 

1. A new and distinct Lobelia plant named ‘Weslobleye’ as illustrated and described. 